NaCSBA’s Executive Committee have submitted a formal response to the Government’s NPPF consultation, making the case that the planning system must actively enable custom and self build.
Why This Matters
The UK’s housing crisis is not simply a shortage of demand, it is a structural problem with how homes are delivered. Large volume housebuilders manage build-out rates to protect margins, while individuals, SMEs, and micro-developers face disproportionate barriers to land and planning consent.
Custom and self build can deliver high-quality, energy-efficient homes without direct public subsidy. But only if the planning framework supports it.
Our Key Concerns
NaCSBA’s response identifies three areas where the proposals fall short:
- Micro-sites are overlooked. Individual plots and sites under one hectare are not adequately recognised in policy or monitoring frameworks, risking under-allocation and invisible delivery.
- Smaller settlements are at risk. Proposed settlement definitions could exclude hamlets and smaller communities, cutting off opportunities for natural infill and proportionate growth.
- Large sites miss the opportunity. Without a mandatory requirement for serviced custom and self build plots on major developments, diversity of delivery will remain aspirational rather than enforced.
What We Are Asking For
- Make the Right to Build duty a material planning consideration in decision-making
- Explicitly recognise micro-sites and individual plots in policy and monitoring
- Revise settlement definitions to include hamlets and support proportional growth
- Strengthen policy support for infill and edge-of-settlement development
- Require serviced custom and self build plots on large sites, with enforceable delivery mechanisms
What Happens Next
We will continue to engage with Government and stakeholders as the revised NPPF is finalised. Members will be kept informed of any developments that affect planning policy for the sector.
